Tag: wines
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Our Monticello Wine Trail trip ended today. After about 500 miles and three cases of new wines, we ended our trip at Prince Michel. It was on the way home so we decided to see what was new since our last visit.

Usually when we visit Prince Michel the wines a very solid and you can count on some nice ones on the tasting menu. This was also the case during this visit. We were the only ones in the tasting room and were lucky enough to have three different tasting associates help guide us through our tasting.

Our gold stars were split on the whites. I selected the 2008 Pinot Grigio for it’s hints of lime and mineral qualities. Warren awarded his to 2006 Barrel Select Chardonnay. He noted toast on the nose with some vanilla and a slight oak presence on the palate. Warren and I both selected the 2007 Petit Verdot as our gold star winner for the reds. This wine presented a dark garnet color, had a berry fruit nose, with plums, dark fruit and smooth tannins on the palate. The grapes for this wine came from the Mt. Juliet Vineyard in Crozet Virginia.

With our tasting complete, we decided to share a glass of the 2007 Petit Verdot to enjoy with some crackers and cheese. After our treat, we made our purchases and continued the trip home. If you stop by Prince Michel on your way home from Charlottesville tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

At Lovingston Winery we were able to talk to Riaan Rossouw, the winemaker. He introduced us to the wines he’s created for Lovingston. While tasting the wines he shared his passion for winemaking. He says, “You have to be in sync with the wine.”

We tasted the 2009 Wahoo White, 2007 Cabernet Franc, 2006 Merlot, 2007 Rotunda Red, 2006 Reserve Merlot, and the 2009 Petit Manseng. All of the wines are very strong and we could describe them all but we’ll just tell you our gold star winners and you will have to plan a trip to taste the Lovingston wines. I placed a gold star on the 2009 Petit Manseng with it’s mineral/sauvignon blanc nose, tropical fruit flavors, and creamy texture. I also placed a gold star on the 2006 Merlot Reserve which presents layers on the nose and on the palate with a hint of tobacco and silky tannins. Warren also chose the 2009 Petit Manseng for one of his gold stars. The 2007 Rotunda Red received his other gold star. He noted sea shells and ripe berries nose and similar characteristics on the palate. He liked this one so much that he had a glass of it with lunch at the Devils Backbone Brewing Company with one of their gourmet burgers.

After our tasting Riaan had us taste one more wine. This one he’s been working on for a few years and will be releasing under his own label. He told us nothing about the wine before we tasted it. Warren and I both tasted the wine and noted flavors, a nose, and mouth feel of a cabernet sauvignon. We even guessed a possible year! Once we shared our predictions Riaan informed us that actually we were tasting a chambourcin. We were surprised! Riaan was able to get cabernet sauvignon from a chambourcin! That comes for the skill and knowledge of a fine winemaker. We really enjoyed our time tasting the wines and talking with Riaan. If you haven’t tasted the Lovingston wines, you need to make an appointment. You will not be disappointed.

Our second stop today was Wintergreen Winery. We did not have this one on our list but we hadn’t been there in so long it was time to stop and check out the changes. With gold stars in hand we did a tasting of their line up of wines and awarded our gold stars. I awarded one of my gold stars to the 2008 Black Rock Chardonnay Reserve with it’s crisp fruitiness and it’s hint of oak. I awarded my other gold star to the 2008 Brent’s Mountain Merlot with it’s soft but full tannins with plum and cherry notes. Warren awarded his gold star to the Thomas Nelson White as a refreshing summer sipper. He had Wolf Trap on his mind while trying this one. After our tasting we purchased a few bottles and headed down the road to our final stop, Cardinal Point.

We always enjoy stopping at Cardinal Point Winery to see what new wines Tim and Sarah Gorman have on the menu. When we stopped today we weren’t able to see Tim and Sarah but we were able to taste all the new releases. Our tasting associate Brianna expertly guided us through the tasting menu. All of the wines are wonderful and we had a hard time selecting our gold star winners. I selected the 2008 A6 from the whites for my gold star. My notes show the word APPLE in big letters with exclamation points and underlines. It has a long finish and is crisp! Warren selected the 2009 Quattro (which hasn’t been released yet) for his gold star. He noted a floral nose with peach on the palate and a “just right” residual sugar level. For the reds we both picked the 2007 Cabernet Franc with it’s plum, cherry and tobacco notes and dark extracted fruit.

During our tasting Brianna let us taste a few new wines that haven’t been released yet (like the 2009 Quattro). Even though they aren’t out yet, we need to mention a few. The 2009 Viognier present classic floral notes but provided sauvignon blanc characteristics that included some citrus and minerality. The 2009 Rockfish Red reminded us of a beaujolais style red that captures the essence of the gamay grape with bright berry flavors.

Our trip to Cardinal Point wouldn’t be complete without a glass of the 2009 Rockfish Red to sip on the patio. We enjoyed the 2009 Rockfish Red while tweeting and posting to Facebook and deciding on which wines to bring home. After making our purchases and saying our goodbyes, the final day of our Monticello Wine Trail trip came to an end. When planning your trip to Charlottesville, please put Cardinal Point, Wintergreen and Lovingston on your list of wineries to visit. And tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

We arrived at Afton Mountain, and we were surprised with the changes that have already taken place under the new ownership. The most obvious change? The new tasting room. Current owners Tony and Elizabeth Smith have converted the previous owners’ home into a classy, sophisticated tasting room that includes antique furnishings and oil paintings. And the view from the new tasting facility cannot be surpassed—mountains, streams, and vineyards greet the eyes and need only to be appreciated. Nick Crutchfield directed our tasting, and the current offerings were quite impressive. Of course, we only carry a few gold stars to each tasting room, and we are very selective with our eventual winners. Our gold star for the whites went to the 2006′ Tete de Cuvee Brut. What an amazing bubbly! Crisp and effervescent with apple flavors and non-stop bubbles, we dreamed of Sunday morning mimosas. Warren had already determined that a bottle of the Cuvee was going home with him; however, we had other white wine to sample. Paul’s own award was presented to the 2008 Gewurztraminer with its pineapple and spice characteristics.

So on to the red wines, and here we reached a unanimous decision. Our gold star for the reds went to the 2008 Cabernet Franc. This award winning wine presented rich cherry flavors with some black pepper and finished with smooth tannins. Warren’s close second was the Festa id Bacco from the Bacchanal vineyard with its characteristics of dark fruit, anise, and violet.

After our detailed tasting we enjoyed a bottle of the 2008 Cabernet Franc with some warm bread and white cheddar cheese. We had a chance to chat with both Tony and Elizabeth Smith, the owners of Afton Mountain, and their son Hunter. Elizabeth and Tony shared with us that their plan to be winemakers within three to five years was accelerated with the availability of the Afton Mountain property. The three to five year plan became a three to five month dream come true. The result? Quality wines. At the end of our visit we made a few purchases and headed down the road to Pollak. If you find yourself in the Charlottesville area you simply MUST plan a visit to Afton Mountain. The changes are so evident in the surroundings and the wine. Get yourself to Afton!

Pollak Vineyards is one of our favorite wineries in Virginia. We always feel like family when we visit Pollak. This trip we began with a barrel tasting with Jake Busching. We were able to taste the 2009 Chadonnay, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008 Meritage, 2007 Meritage and the 2009 Mille Fleur. Jake also gave us a taste of the 2008 Mille Fleur. My white gold star for the barrel tasting went to the 2009 Chardonnay with it’s minerality, nice acidity at the end with citrus flavors. My red gold star went to the 2007 Meritage with it’s dirt nose, tight tannins, and dark fruit flavors. After our informative barrel tasting we decided to do a regular tasting. My gold stars went to the 2008 Durant White and the 2007 Cabernet Franc. Warren awarded his to the 2008 Rose` and the 2008 Native Yeast Chardonnay. After our tasting I enjoyed a glass of the 2008 Cabernet Franc and Warren had the 2008 Chardonnay Reserve. We enjoyed these wines with a warm baguette. When it came time to make our purchases I was disappointed to find out the 2008 Viognier was sold out. No problem though. I enjoy all their wines. I mixed and matched to make up a case. We have have plans to return in July when there will be many new releases.

King Family was our final stop for today. We love the wines from King Family and this time they did not disappoint. Ali was our tasting associate and she was so rehearsed, she knew everything about the wines. We both selected the 2009 Crose` for a gold star. I selected the 2007 Merlot and Warren selected the 2008 Meritage for gold stars. Even though it was a rainy cold afternoon, we enjoyed a glass of the Crose` on the covered patio. We were Tweeting about your experience at King Family. Before leaving we secured a few bottles for our wine racks. While make our purchases we ran into Matthiew Finot, the winemaker. We were able to chat with him about the 2007 Meritage which won the 2010 Governor’s Cup. We informed him we had just had the 2009 Crose`. We agreed the Crose` with it’s sauvignon qualities makes a great summer wine. We left with a few bottles for the summer. We plan to return to King Family in the summer to taste all the new releases.

Tomorrow our trip continues with a stop at Lovingston Vineyards, Cardinal Point, and First Colony.

At Barboursville I gave my gold star to the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc and Warren awarded his to the 2008 Viognier Reserve. For the reds I gave my gold star to the 2008 Sangiovese and Warren gave gave out two gold stars. One to the Octagon 2005 and one to the Cabernet Franc Reserve 2007. All the wines at Barboursville are strong. We enjoy them all. However, something must be done with the flow of the tasting room. Big crowds slow things down and hamper the tasting experience. It might be time to consider a different plan or layout for tasting. There’s got to be a better way to conduct their tastings. Just a thought.

It’s always an adventure at Horton Cellars. They have so many wines to choose from. We have to be selective or we’ll have to get a driver. We did try a few of the whites and a few of the reds. This time our gold stars went to the same wines. We awarded the 2008 Viognier a gold star and the 2007 Cabernet Franc Reserve a gold star. We purchased a few bottles before leaving.

Our next stop was Keswick Vineyards. We always enjoy our tastings there. They had six wines to taste this time and they were all new to use. I gave my gold star for the whites to the recently released 2009 Verdejo and my gold star for the reds went to the 2008 Cabernet Franc. Warren selected the 2008 Chardonnay Reserve and the 2008 Consensus for his gold star winners. After our tasting we enjoyed a bottle of the 2008 Cabernet Franc. Warren noted currents, plums, dried herbs on the nose and similar qualities on the palate. He said, “It tastes like it smells.” We enjoyed it with some delicious white cheddar cheese and crackers.

Our next stop was at Jefferson Vineyards. Jefferson was packed! It was a very popular place today. We found a spot at the tasting bar and began our tasting. We met some nice ladies from California next to us and enjoyed chatting about wine with them. Once again our choices for gold stars were split. It’s probably a good thing we like so many different Virginia wines. I gave my gold stars to the 2008 Pinot Gris and the 2007 Meritage while Warren gave his gold stars to the 2008 Viognier and the 2007 Merlot. Usually Warren likes the meritages and I like the merlots but we mixed it up this time. The weather was beautiful today so we shared a glass of the 2008 Viognier on their deck.

Trying to make the most of the beautiful weather and squeeze in as many wineries as we can on this trip, we finished the day at Blenheim. Kirsty Harmon is doing some wonderful things at Blenheim. It’s another winery that has become very popular. Our tasting associate, Pete, guided us through the current offerings at Blenheim. There were two new wines on the list: White Table Wine and Painted Red 2008. The Painted Red 2008 intrigued us with his big fruity nose and flavors. We described it as beaujolais style. Warren and I both gave our gold stars to the 2008 Viognier but for the reds we were split again. I gave mine to the Blenheim Farm Petit Verdot 2008 and Warren gave his to Painted Red 2008. After our tasting we enjoyed a glass of the Painted Red 2008 on the deck. Kirsty came out and joined us and we chatted about wine of course. We always have a great time at Blenheim.

That was our first day in Charlottesville. A lot of wineries, I know but we have to make the best use of our time. Tomorrow we are headed to three more wineries. I’ll update you then with our findings. If you find yourself at any of these wonderful wineries, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Readers may recall that we recently visited Sunset Hills Vineyard, and we were quite impressed with their lineup of wines. We then decided to participate in a subsequent blending session which featured Cabernet Franc as the dominant varietal. How did we do? Well, it was not an easy task, and we had to sample lots of wine to get our blend just right; however, we also had to compete with other amateur winemakers that day. The competition was fierce!

Participants were grouped and then seated at various tables in the tasting room, and each table was given the label of a certain wine producing region. For example, one table was called the “Napa” table; our table was the Virginia table! (Yes, it was purely coincidental.) Anyway, our winemaking partners were Troi and Derick. We all hit it off right away, and we quickly found out that Trois is a fan of local wines from Virginia and Maryland. With introductions completed, we were all eager to sip and blend. Our first samples were four tastings of Cabernet Franc picked from two different lots. An added twist was that the samples from each lot were then aged in different oak barrels—new American oak, French oak, and Hungarian oak. The Virginia table gravitated toward the French oak and Hungarian oak samples. We found these to be more fruit-forward with a softer oak finish. The sample from American oak tended to present more blackberry flavors with a noticeable woodsy character.

As we sipped, we took extensive notes so that we could compliment our favorite Cabernet Franc with an appropriate blend of other wines. Since the final product will be a Cabernet Franc, the blends had to include at least 75% Cabernet Franc. With this in minds, the Virginia table was ready to blend away, and we were presented with four other samples once we were done with our Cabernet Franc. These other samples included two offerings of the ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon from Tranquility Vineyard (each were treated with different yeasts), a 2009 Merlot from Sunset Hill Vineyard, and a 2008 Petit Verdot from Breaux Vineyards. What did we conclude? We all really enjoyed the Cabernet Franc samples and opted to create a 90% blend from the French and Hungarian oak tastings with a greater proportion coming from the French oak product. We then blended in 7% from the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (yeast sample #1) and 3% from the jammy, spicy 2008 Petit Verdot. Our final blend presented layers of mixed berries in the mouth with some violet and spice on the nose—the Virginia table was very pleased!

However, the other tables were also madly blending with pipettes and beakers operating at full speed. When all tables were done, we then had to sample all of the final blends and vote on our favorites. Without getting into the tasting notes for each blend, I’ll simply reveal that our particular blend place third out of the ten blends produced. The top-rated blend as well as the second place blend also favored the Cabernet Franc from the French and Hungarian oak barrels but in different proportions; though I was rooting strongly for the Virginia table’s blend, I did have to admit that the winning blend was the indeed the best. In fact, winemaker Nate Walsh revealed that the winning blend was very close to the one currently used to create the award-winning Cabernet Franc Reserve.

So we tried our hand at blending red wines, and we now understand how difficult a task it is to complete. We were intrigued by how different the same varietal, Cabernet Franc, tasted when produced from a different lot and aged in a different oak barrel. Terroir and winemaking methods do indeed make the wine! We also enjoyed meeting new friends Troi and Derick, and we hope to meet up with them on the wine trail soon.

Before heading to the Breaux Vineyards Merlot Vertical Tasting on Saturday afternoon (which we’ll post about early next week), we decided to stop at the Hunter’s Run Wine Barn. We heard about the barn from Lori and Jim Corcoran before. Currently the Wine Barn serves Corcoran Vineyards wines. Knowing this we were quite familiar with the wines.

The owner of the barn, Geri Nolan, conducted our tasting. Of course we started with the whites. We tasted the 2008 Viognier, the 2008 Chardonnay, and the 2007 Seyval Blanc. All of the whites were lovely wines but our gold star went to the 2008 Viognier. We noted honeysuckle on the nose with melon and peaches on the palate. This is one of our favorites.

With our gold stars still in hand we tasted the reds. We sipped on the 2007 Chambourcin, the 2007 Cabernet Franc, the 2008 Malbec, and the 2007 Meritage. Our gold stars went in different directions at this point. Warren stuck his on the 2007 Meritage. He noted concentrated berries on his tasting sheet. I put my gold star on the 2008 Malbec. This was my favorite during out last tasting at Corcoran Vineyards. I wrote down dark cherry flavors with a touch of pepper and a nice finish.

After our tasting we decided to enjoy a glass of the 2008 Malbec with some warm bread. The Wine Barn has a great atmosphere and everyone was having a great time. The place was hopping! While enjoying our glass and the delicious warm bread and the live music, Jim Corcoran came over and recognized us. We chatted with him for a bit and then he suggested we taste the new 2008 Riesling. Before we left Geri gave us a tasting of the riesling. Descriptors we wrote down were minerality, peachy, stone fruit, white pepper, clean with a light straw color. It’s off dry with 1.5% residual sugar. We considered this one a great summer sipper. Nicely done!

With our tastings done and our notes complete we said goodbye to the Wine Barn and headed off to our Merlot Vertical Tasting at Breaux Vineyards. We have a feeling the Wine Barn will continue to be a popular destination. It’s right on RT 9 and close to other wineries. We think Geri, Lori, and Jim have a great thing going at the Wine Barn. Consider stopping by and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

After our trip to Casanel on Saturday we decided to stop at Dry Mill Winery. They are very close to each other so you won’t have to go far. We last visited Dry Mill the week before they officially opened last June.

We were lucky to have Michelle, the owners’ daughter, conduct our tasting. She knows all about the winery and the wines and willing to share all her knowledge with you. Of course we started with the whites. Added to the tasting menu this year is the 2008 Traminette along side the 2008 Steel Chardonnay, the 2008 Barrel Chardonnay and the 2008 Viognier. We had our gold stars ready and but our awards were almost the exact opposite from what the usually are. Warren put his gold star on the 2008 Steel Chardonnay when normally he prefers the oakier barrel type chardonnay. I put my gold star on the 2008 Barrel Chardonnay when I normally prefer the steel type chardonnay.

Moving on to the reds we noticed the addition of the 2007 Syrah and the 2007 Norton. We didn’t remember seeing these last year with the 2007 Cabernet Franc and the 2007 Rose. Warren and I both agreed on the gold star for the reds. We awarded it to the 2007 Cabernet Franc. It presents layers of berries with black pepper and a nice caramel finish. We were also given a taste of the 2008 Chambourcin. We believe this one will be released soon. We were so pleased we received a preview taste. We also noted the 2007 Rose`. We got to Wolf Trap for concerts in the summer and often take Rose`s with us. This Rose` would make the perfect Wolf Trap wine.

Since we had already eaten our lunch, we decided to enjoy a glass of the 2007 Cabernet Franc while enjoying the view from the patio. We also had a baguette with our wine. Before leaving we purchased a few bottles and said our goodbyes and thank yous. One thing that must be noted is Dry Mill does not charge a tasting fee! How many Virginia wineries don’t charge a tasting fee! That is always much appreciated! We encourage our readers to plan a trip to Dry Mill soon and tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Last weekend we went to Loudoun County to visit a few wineries. We started at Casanel Vineyards. We hadn’t been there since June. It was about time we checked out the new wines.

You might remember the name of the winery is a combination of the two owners names…Casey and Nelson…Casanel. They also named each vintage of wines with special words. The 2007 vintages began with the word Chegada which means arrival. The 2008 vintages begin with the word Batucada which means samba. Casanel is a family run winery as well. We were lucky enough to have one of the daughters conduct our tasting.

Our tasting began with the whites. Casanel has two whites to taste; the 2008 Batucada Chardonnay and the 2007 Chegada Viognier. Some words that were jotted down next the chardonnay were “crisp” and “tropical”. The viognier received the words “peachy”, “floral”, and “honey textured”. We enjoyed them both and thought about each one for our lunch. We agreed on our gold star here. It went to the 2007 Chegada Viognier.

We tasted three reds from Casanel. The 2008 Batucada Norton was tart with cherry jam flavors. The 2007 Chegada Merlot presented notes of smoke, cherry, dried herbs, and pepper. Our final red was the 2007 Chegada Cabernet Sauvignon. Warren noted cherry, plum, and leather for this one. We were split on the reds for our gold stars. I gave my gold star to the 2007 Chegada Cabernet Sauvignon and Warren presented his gold star to the 2008 Batucada Norton.

With our tasting finished, we decided on the 2007 Chegada Viognier to go with our herbed grilled chicken. We thought this one went well with our chicken. We decided the acidity gives the impression of crispness when we really didn’t detect its presence. We noted lots of peach on the nose and on the palate as well as the honeysuckle texture. Overall a very nice wine.

We had a nice time visiting Casanel once more. We encourage our readers to plan a visit to Casanel soon and when you do, tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Recently we took a trip to visit one of the newest wineries in Virginia, Paradise Springs Winery. After some legal troubles, Paradise Springs opened in January of this year with hopes of becoming a destination for Fairfax County residents and visitors from around the world. Paradise Springs is Fairfax County’s only winery. It’s also very close. We only had a 35 minute drive to get there.

In the quaint, historic tasting room we were able to taste the full array of Paradise Springs wines. They currently have one acre of grapes planted on the property but have plans to expand in the future. They hope to plant albarino and petit verdot. The grapes to produce the current wines were purchased all over the state of Virginia. The wines were created by several winemakers (listed on their website) with Chris Pearmund and Rob Cox being the most familiar to Virginia Wine Time. They currently produce about 5000 cases of wine but we’re sure that will increase in the future.

Our tasting associate was very knowledgeable and guided us through our tasting. Of course we marked our gold stars along the way. We placed our gold star for the whites next to the 2008 Viognier. It’s aged for six months in French oak and presented peach and honeysuckle on the nose with peach and mango flavors on the palate. Our gold star for the reds went to the 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We noted blackberries, dark cherry, and smoke on the nose with dark fruit flavors, nice tannins, and a long finish on the palate. This one would sit nicely on your rack for a few years as well.

With our tasting complete we decided on the 2008 Cabernet Franc to compliment our chicken and pasta lunch. And of course it paired perfectly. We enjoyed our lunch in the lower level. It’s got a cave like atmosphere…and watch your head! We asked the tasting associate at the lower level bar about the tree on the label and she informed us it was modeled after a tree right on the property. You can see it out the window in the lower level as well.

After our lunch was finished and our purchases made, we bid farewell to Paradise Springs. We promised to visit again in the future. If you find yourself visiting the only Fairfax County winery, please tell them Virginia Wine Time sent you!

Over the past couple of weekend, we’ve visited a few other wineries, and we wanted to post our reviews of these visits.

Chrysalis Vineyards—It’s always a treat to do a tasting here. Our gold star faves in the white category was the 2008 Viognier, the flagship white wine at Chrysalis Vineyards. We were allowed a “sneak” of the 2008 Albarino—Wow! This would be my double star favorite. Soft peach, a hint of lemon zest, and a noticeable minerality sums up the flavor profile. Of the red wines, my own gold star was presented to the 2005 Locksley Reserve; of course, I was not swayed by the fact that it won gold at the Virginia Governor’s Cup competition. Paul preferred the smoky 2005 Petit Verdot. We can also report that owner Jenni McCloud is making progress with her plans to build an on-site dairy and restaurant. We’ll follow these developments and keep track of latest releases as the spring and summer progresses.

Loudoun Valley Vineyards—The renaissance continues here! Our favorite white continues to be the crisp and refreshing 2008 Pinot Grigio, but the 2008 Vinifera White should prove to be a summertime crowd pleaser. The red wines produced another split decision. Paul favored the 2005 Cabernet Franc with its blackberry and spicy notes. My own preference was the 2005 Dynasty Reserve, and I noted dark berry, plum, and spice characteristics with some vanilla to boot. A more complex and “layered” pour, I opted to enjoy a glass of this one after our tasting.

Piedmont Vineyards—New releases planned in late May, and these include a Hunt Country Chardonnay and a Native Yeast Chardonnay. We were given “sneaks” of the Native Yeast, and for lovers of an oak-aged Chardonnay, this one should be popular. The current Hunt Country is still available and was Paul’s gold star winner. He favors the stainless steel Chardonnays, and this one is still crisp and refreshing. We both concurred on the Cabernet Franc with its raspberry and spice flavors. This one is limited in quantities, so buy now for future enjoyment.

Plan springtime visits to these wineries soon, and be sure to mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you.

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Virginia Wine Time is a wine blog written by two wine enthusiasts who enjoy Virginia wine. Warren is the writer and Paul is the photographer and webmaster. All content and photographs are property of Virginia Wine Time and may not be used without prior permission.